A Guide to Must-Have Direct Selling Technology for 2024

The arrival of the new year calls for a fresh perspective, an opportunity to broaden horizons and explore new possibilities. As we enter 2024, let’s revamp the distributor experience, empowering them with the tools to succeed. 

And it is indeed a time of growth in the direct selling industry – according to DSA data, the direct selling channel generated $40.5 billion in retail sales in 2022, with 41 million customers and 6.7 million direct sellers. Here, we explore four tips for upgrading your direct selling training strategy in 2024, and the scope of what the right technology can offer. 

Look beyond learning

In the rapidly evolving landscape of work today, the significance of learning and training is widely acknowledged. Traditional learning tech for distributors is one such approach that promotes a centralized learning hub and a continuous learning experience. 

While this may work for some, such methods often have a single pathway to learning, in that each individual receives the same journey, proceeds down the same path. They receive the learning and training they need, yet there could there be more to the story? How can we go beyond standard training content and make it contextually relevant to the situation?

A Performance Enablement Platform, on the other hand, has multiple pathways that are determined by multiple data sources, such as seller choices and goals, and corporate rules. Such a platform tailors business-building tools to the unique goals of distributors. For instance, meet Meredith, whose aspiration is to build a direct selling business and have multiple downlines. The platform offers personalized resources and guidance specifically designed to support her specific journey towards entrepreneurship, ensuring a customized and effective experience.

Adopt a strategy for global compliance

International expansion is on the radar, and well underway, for many direct sellers. Connecting distributors to new markets and engaging individuals in different regions is crucial in the global landscape of today. Yet as they scale to new geographies, how can direct selling organizations uphold consistent standards, best practices, and selling approaches across borders and time zones?

As USANA’s David Mulham and ACTIVZ’s Ryan Thompson noted in a recent Rallyware roundtable, due to variations in both markets and cultural tech – for instance, what happens in the Korean market is vastly different from North America – the notion simplification becomes really central – along with speed and relevance. Whether they have recently joined or are veterans in the field, providing all distributors with access to consistent, accurate, timely and compliant resources is important, and is something a robust distributor training and onboarding solution can offer. Amid increasing global expansion, ensuring that all new distributors receive a seamless, personalized onboarding experience so they can quickly get up to speed becomes key.   

Harness the power of AI as a trusty distributor copilot

It was 2023’s word of the year and has impacted various industries. As you may have guessed, we are talking about AI. Envision AI as a valuable tool for distributors, offering on-demand mentorship and knowledge retrieval. An AI Sales Coach provides distributors with smart, on-demand support for requests, covering a range of needs, from product details to sales pitches. The ultimate assistant, the Coach helps to personalize distributor business building journeys and guide them through uncertainties.

When it comes to managing and nurturing customer relationships, adopt a smart approach

As direct selling is an industry with relationships at its core, empowering distributors with a tool to manage these relationships is essential. Enter: customer relationship manager software (the CRM). Today, direct sellers quite often deploy distributor CRMs that serve as glorified Rolodexes, static systems that store contacts to whom the distributor can reach out. While such traditional solutions may have some benefits, the demands of today’s landscape call for a more targeted and contemporary strategy in customer acquisition and retention. Enter: the smart CRM.

Upon acquiring a new customer, the smart CRM intelligently suggests what the distributor should do next to further develop the relationship, for outreach that is both targeted and intentional. For instance, to support the launch of a new product, distributors like Meredith may be provided with a series of to-do’s:

• Introduce the product to the customer 
• Send a sample to the customer 
• Help the customer place an order
• Follow up with them about their experience with the product  

A smart CRM harnesses a variety of data inputs, behavioral models, and integrations to suggest the right action to take, at the right time.

Revolutionizing direct selling training approaches for 2024 and beyond

DSN legend and Founder of Symmetry and Xyngular Rudy Revak summed it up perfectly when in a recent issue of DSN he noted that: “We need to remember what got us here. We have always been an industry that focuses on building people, and then those people go on to build our business. We can ensure our future success by remembering that the most valuable asset any direct selling company has is our loyal, hardworking distributor field!” (The quote from Kevin Guest above was also included in that same issue, as industry leaders shared their insights on how current opportunities are shaping the future of the industry).  

We’re calling it now – 2024 is the year of the distributor experience, one powered by AI and some seriously smart data.

 Revamp your direct selling training and see why Rallyware is a leader in distributor experience tools – schedule your demo today!